Article ID: CBB134624528

Earth System Science, Anthropocene Historiography, and Three Forms of Human Agency (2022)

unapi

This programmatic essay argues that meaningful historical engagement with the Anthropocene begins with recognizing that the concept arises not only from geology but also from Earth System science (ESS), which has evolved to incorporate both physical systems and human systems in an integrated view of our planet. It makes the case that this holistic understanding alters both the science and the history of the Anthropocene by introducing a novel form of human agency: Earth System agency. This radical new form of agency does not eclipse the individual and collective forms of agency that have always interacted with the environment but adds to them in complex and sometimes uncomfortable ways. It challenges us to develop a science-induced Anthropocene historiography and a humanities-induced Anthropocene science. The history of science is well positioned to play a dialectical role in developing a “critical friendship” between Anthropocene history and Anthropocene science—a process in which the history of science will likely be transformed as well.

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Authors & Contributors
Renn, Jürgen
Rodrigues, Ana Duarte
Ana Smões
Scarso, Davide
Waal, Elske de
Wolfe, Charles T.
Concepts
Historiography
History of science, as a discipline
Epistemology
Anthropocene
Historical method
Environmental history
Time Periods
21st century
Medieval
20th century, late
Early modern
Modern
Renaissance
Places
Byzantium
Poland
Southeast Asia
Institutions
Science History Institute (SHI)
American Chemical Society
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